Family
My Safe Haven
My family means the world to me, they are my roots and what I am built upon. I would be nothing without them and their unconditional support. I am so incredibly appreciative of the family I have been raised in and thank God everyday for them. As you can see in the pictures below, I have a family of four, my mom, dad, and younger brother, as well as our three dogs!
 |  |  |  |
|---|
Home
I would choose family over friends any day. Their love for me is like no other and I know that they will always be there for me no matter what. I absolutely love family gatherings, no matter what the event it. I thoroughly enjoy being surrounded by loved ones and it gives me a sense of ease. Both sides of my family (mom + dad's) participates in large family gatherings. Those being Memorial Day and Labor Day camping, Christmas and Easter celebrations, lots of campfires, and many more. But, these are the things I live for, I would choose to attend these events over anything!
My parents were amazing. They must've known what they were doing because multiple people commend them on their good parenting. Lots of relatives, family friends, or even strangers comment on how shocked they are of how my brother and I act and how well we get along and it was all due to our parenting. I hope my parents realize how much people look up to them as parents.
My People
Three of the Most Important People in My Life
Dad
Kevin Krueger
The first word that comes to mind when I think of my dad is hardworking. He provides for our family and is our own built in handyman. He knows how to fix literally anything, which is pretty cool to me. He built the house we live in now and spent every night for a year working on it until 12 AM. My dad owns and operates his own custom cabinet business and has been in that profession all his life. Right out of high school he began working and he eventually opened up his shop in 1985. He is strong and brave and determined. My dad has also been a volunteer fire fighter for over 30 years, I remember as a kid hearing his pager go off in the late hours of the night and him leaving to go save the day. My dad is incredibly loyal and out of my two parents, he was definitely more strict. He likes to stick with what he knows and doesn't love the idea of change. He was a proud father, watching me excel in school with my good grades and attending my band concerts. Anyone could tell how proud he was, even though he didn't usually put it into words. He loves hunting and fishing, watching sports on TV, going up North to the hunting cabin, and cutting wood. He is a true outdoorsman as well as a great father! <3
Mom
Janel Krueger
When you think of the best mom possible, picture my mom! She is the glue that holds our family together. She was the most hands-on, caring, compassionate, loving, hardworking, selfless, and guiding mom. Growing up, she did everything to give her two kids the best life ever. She wasn't a pushy mom and she let us really figure out our passions and let us run with it. She supported us 110% and was always there to cheer us on or to be a shoulder for us to cry on. Her top priority is her kids and since I've moved off to college, I know it's been hard on her because of how close we are. My mom and I are honestly best friends, I tell her everything and she loves to know the latest gossip going on in my life. We would spend most weekends together because my dad and brother would be hunting. So, alone we would love to go shopping, do crafts, talk, visit family, or travel (which is our favorite). My mom and I have taken two trips together just the two of us and we plan to take many more, it's something we both have a passion for. My mom works in the insurance industry and has been for over 15 years. She worked for a company when we were little and eventually took the leap of faith to start her own business, which I commend her for because I can only imagine how hard that was. But since starting her own business, she has been incredibly successful and I am proud to have such a hardworking business women of a mom. She inspires me everyday with her qualities and I hope to be just slightly as amazing as her when I grow up.
Brother
Landen Krueger
I would consider my brother and I pretty close. Growing up it was just the two of us so we had to make our own fun together. Even though I was the total typical girl and he was the typical boy with our interests, we found ways to combine our hobbies and play together. It was a great time growing up with him and we had such fun times on the land we have. We loved to be outside four-wheeling, playing sports, swimming, playing in the sandbox, riding our scooters and much more. We were a duo as children and still are to this day. I loved having him in the same high school as me when I was a Junior and he was a Freshman. I know it's not that typical nowadays but we enjoyed hanging out with each other, even when we got older. I have many stories of our crazy car rides to and from school and stuff that happened in school. My brother really has the best personality and I look up to him with his positive attitude, something I wish I had more of. He just stays in his own lane and doesn't really worry about others opinions. He is a very empathetic and caring person as well, all great qualities. Landen's life revolves around hunting and fishing, there is rarely a day that goes by that he didn't go hunting, or at least scouting. He hunts basically every animal you can and absolutely loves it. He tries to get me involved in his passion, so if I'm feeling nice I'll go with him scouting or sit with him while he guts out the animal he just got. I think this is a fair trade off since I made him join band with me and persuaded him to not quit multiple times, lol! But anyways, I'm really appreciative of the brother I have and couldn't ask for a better one.
Grandparents
My grandparents were really important people to me growing up. Sadly, three of them past in the same year and it was really detrimental because it was my first experience with death. Grandparent's are the best, and I am glad that I got to be in their presence for as long as I did.
My dad's parents had eight kids, my dad being the youngest. They had a huge family and loved it. They settled down in Deer Park, WI, which is where all five of their sons live to this day. This made it easy to see all of them regularly, along with their grandkids. My grandparents were one of a kind, they had some interesting hobbies and collections, but it made them who they were. They were very well known around town and they were a great addition to the community. My grandma ended up getting pretty bad dementia near the end of her life, but they both lived a long life with tons of memories. They were great and I miss them dearly.
Grandma Bernice and Grandpa Don Krueger
My mom's parents also had a larger family, they had five children and my mom was also the youngest of five. They put family at the center of their life. They loved being grandparents and would visit them all regularly. We went on lots of family trips together and celebrated many events as a group. I have so many fond memories of them together. Unfortunately, my grandma ended up getting bone cancer and it took her life too soon. This death was hard for the family and it hasn't been the same since. She was the best grandma. My grandpa Larry was healthy and doing good for awhile after her death, but has recently went downhill and ended up with cancer as well. I made sure to visit him frequently with the time he had left, however, he was able to be reunited with my grandmother this past winter.